Tuesday, February 28, 2012

I just had to say that I'm pretty much, superexcited at the possibility of this awesome job my hubs might have soon....tee hee....he's really happy about it, and so am I...from the phone calls back and forth so far, it definitely seems promising...he just has to jump through one more interview...fingers crossed for sure!!It'll be nice actually knowing where we will live for a while...we haven't really known in ages...always on the verge of possibilities....but yup, stability would be nice for sure.The possibilities too....buying a home, a new(er) vehicle, saving, finaaaaallllly paying off student loans....it would be fantastic.Wish us luck!! :)

Sunday, February 26, 2012

I love relaxing Sundays....
Seeing all my great friends at church...
Teaching the youth Sunday school class...
Visiting with the sisters and loving the lessons...
Napping....
Spending the afternoons snuggling with my kids....
Wrestling and pillow fights in the living room....
Talking about what we learned at church earlier in the day...
Listening to our home teachers awesome lesson...

They are really great days. I'm laying in the bed beside roo, listening him read "scriptures"..."you should love Jesus. Go to church and be nice. Don't fight"
Tee hee hee....he's adorable:)

Here's a great little Sunday vid for ya...I used it in the class I taught today...
I <3 Pres. Uchtdorf
http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/mormon-messages?lang=eng

Friday, February 17, 2012

We had a fantastic evening last night on this topic at a women's church activity....the food and speakers were both great. When I came home to discuss it with my hubby, I came up with some really interesting ideas on LOVE...and since this is the week of love, I thought it deserved its own post. Just in case you don't already know what the 5 love languages are...I will give you a quick run-down, before I delve into my thoughts about it. 1-Words of affirmation(I love you, thank you for doing that, I appreciate you, you look great in that outfit, you enjoy blog comments;) etc...)2-Quality time (in the form of quality conversation, quality activities or just time)3-Receiving Gifts (can be free or expensive, come in all shapes and sizes, carry some thought or meaning to them, an example could be your wedding ring...do you wear it often? does it carry an immense amount of meaning to you?)4-Acts of Service (doing things for others, spending time on making them something, doing something even though you may dislike doing it)5-Physical Touch (this doesn't have to be just intimate forms of touch, it can just be a pat on the shoulder, a quick squeeze of the arm, a hug etc.)

We also discussed different "dialects", as you and every other person probably vary quite a bit of what kinds of acts of service, or amount and kind of physical touch that you enjoy...we are all different.

Before last night I was ALL about the 5 love languages...I thought it was a new and amazing way to understand the people around you and show your love to them. I still feel this way, to some extent, I do believe that it opens up interesting ways to think about whether or not the way you are showing love to someone is getting through to them or not, and if not, finding ways to show your love in ways that are being understood.BUT....I've come to the conclusion that its just NOT all right...for example...there was a great little intro on how God uses each and every love language in his relationships with us, and how he uses each one of them. I totally agreed with this! He does use them all...but that's the thing...he uses them ALL. Does he use them all, so we all feel loved in our own way? Or does he use them all because God is LOVE...he exudes love in every aspect...and so should we. What got me thinking on this topic, was that I literally COULD NOT find my love language...I felt as if I was equal in ALL of them. I thought about this for a very long time...I really felt equally divided, and that if someone wrote me a nice note, or got me a un-expected gift, or took me on a trip, or spent any quality time with me, or gave me a hug....the list goes on....I WOULD FEEL LOVED. I just would. As I came home to quiz my hubby, and desperately find out how to show my love to him more and make sure he felt loved by me....we came to some interesting conclusions. Well, maybe not conclusions per se, but definitely some new thoughts on this topic. My hubby answered all the questions I asked...unwillingly, for the most part...because he does NOT like ultimatums(not that I was giving him one)...but the questions were. They were set up in such a way to make you HAVE to decide between the two...by using words such as "always" or "every time". He wasn't sure what he felt EVERY single time...or if he would like it one situation versus the next. He thought it really depended on the situation, the timing, the individual the interaction was with. As I was telling him that I felt I was EACH and every love language possible...he said he thought he was too. These were his words: "If someone is showing me their love through a service, a note, a kind word, a hug, I will feel loved if they are doing it with love. It doesn't matter what the "thing" is, it matters where there heart is. If they are doing it out of love, I will feel loved." Isn't that just spot on? I feel the same way....and yes, maybe you would feel more loved by certain things than others, at different times. His second point was this, "if I haven't had a word of affirmation in a while, maybe I would enjoy that one more one day...or if I haven't been hugged in a while, that one may hold more weight...but if I haven't had any quality time in a while, then that may be the thing that makes me feel loved the most that day. It is constantly changing." I don't think this will be true for everyone, I do think that some people just ARE physical touch people, and some people just ARE service people, or gifts people, or whatever....so there is good to knowing the languages and finding out how to speak other peoples language. BUT, I think the MOST important aspect is love. Whatever way you choose to express your love, make sure that it is exuding your love, and that they know you love them during whatever interaction it is. Another interesting thought I had, was, maybe it is all nurture?? And not nature at all? At the activity one speaker spoke one this, and like most questions pertaining to this, she expressed to us that it probably was a combination of both. Maybe though, it's not. Maybe the reason some person would feel more loved when someone spends quality time with them, than anything else, is because they lacked that time when growing up. Or, it could be the opposite, maybe they got a lot of quality time and always felt loved, and to them, that's what they associate with feeling loved. My points on this topic are really just things that I thought were interesting, and not to completely disregard what this author has brought across, because it can be really helpful. I just think that we could all use a lot more LOVE in our life...whether it be giving or receiving...the world needs more love:) We could all try and be a lot more loving in ALL of these 5 aspects, and no matter which one was are using at which time, we need to make sure that the person on the receiving endreally feels that it came from the right place, and really knows that we care. That's pretty much it...he he...LOVE.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

It's interesting that last year, or the year before at this time we would have been dying for interviews....looking all around...and finding nothing...maybe it was the economy?who knows...Whatever it was, we were NOT finding anything...and my hubby was getting more-than-a-little frustrated and pretty much just majorly bummed out. I think he was starting to feel like it may never happen...and he'd just have to settle for something less...it was hard to see him all bummed, and grumpy about so many work-less days. I think it was going to HAWAII that changed it all...it was like the miracle vacation! ha ha...Ever since we've been back and applying for jobs(BOTH of us too)...we have been really blessed with getting interviews.My hubby has had 3 (maybe 4?)...has 2 more this week, and just got a call this morning for another one, in Calgary....we're pretty excited.They've been going well too, one job he didn't get (but it wasn't really in his area at all either, so we were relieved), another one he turned down (it was good-paying with great benefits, but not what he wants to be doing), the last one he didn't get because they felt like he was too over-qualified...so that's a good thing, I guess. The next few are REALLY up his alley, and totally what he wants to be getting into...especially one...we're rooting for that one (and it would keep us here for a while too!)I've already had 3 too, and decided to cancel my 4th today, because his seem so promising. I was really only applying so that one of us could work...but it's looking like he will be able to soon, so I decided to call off my job-hunt, at least for now. I'm leaning more towards starting a casual babysitting/day-home type thing...I'm just working out the details now.Anyways, LIFE is GOOD!! I can't wait until my hubby is employed...he will be SO happy, and he really deserves it...he's such a smarty-pants....wherever he ends up getting hired, they will be REALLY lucky to have him...I know I am;)

funny for the day:Ashur was asking about what paigey's dad does for work, so we explained it all....ashur: "Why can't MY dad be a funeral director too?!"us: um, why?ashur: "because THEN we could go to funerals ALL the time!"

I am a HUGE fan of the big LOVE day....and I totally disagree with the whole "single awareness" of it...I think that no matter who YOU are, someone out there loves you....if you don't believe me...I LOVE YOU!!

I think that V-day for me is more of just sharing love, charity, and celebrating the love....and I love it. This is how our day has been so far.......I slept in (yay for me! I would say BEST gift ever, but I've had some pretty good gifts)...ROO is officiallyPOTTY trained (YAY for me!! I can pretty much say THE best gift ever thus far, he loves me:)...We all went with my hubby to his hair cut(for his 2 awesome interviews this week!), which is a double yay for me, because I get to look at his stud-linessALL day, and I got to visit with his awesome hair-dresser, whom is a friend of mine:)...we headed out on the TOWN and went to a flower shop, where the boys each picked out a littlebunch of flowersfor me, very ccuuuttteee...then we headed to zellers, where we each picked out a box of chocolates/candy (yum!!)...then off to the dollar store for a cute heart-shaped balloon for me, and the boys each got a fun toy(including my hubby who picked out a airplane launcher thingy)...next, we went to Pizza Hut's all-you-can-eat lunch buffet....double yum!!

Now we are home, having a quiet rest-filled afternoon, and then off on a date tonight...greatest day EVER!! :) <3 I am LOVING the LOVE<3

Saturday, February 11, 2012

I <3 the shower....I know many of you may too...but NOT for the same reason....

ALL of my GREATideas, plans...any awesome thoughts really, come to me in the ............SHOWER.

It's my place really...it is where I PONDER...

I have been known to have a few epiphanies over the years...and yup, you guessed it, they ALL occurred to me whilst in the shower. Each and every one. I'm not sure if it's the ....solitude... Or just the generalPEACE and QUIET of being in the shower... BUT....whatever the case...it is what it is.

I plan all sorts of things........our trip to Hawaii...our road-trip across the south-eastern part of the US...adoption, and all that it entails...any and every job or school decision

Sometimes it's just the idea that pops up...and then I figure it out later....but sometimes I make a pro/con list before...and then just hop in the shower to ponder on my answer.

Anyways...I just thought that was a funny little quirk I'd share(I have several more....ha ha).

On another note....Last week I was reminded that LAUGHTER is SO good for the .... soul.

I had some serious laughs last week...and one great night out with fabulous friends that was SO healing....I LOVE nights like that.

One funny thing that popped up that night was a conversation on mommy-hood...and how everyone was saying how hard it is, how they really wish they were better moms, that everyone around them seems like SUCH a good mom etc etc...you know the drill....I piped and said: "I'm an AWESOME mom, it's my kids that are bad"...

that got some giggles...and possibly a slogan on a few walls or shirts...tee hee...

On the subject of laughter....this may get a few more giggles out of you...it's a little situation that happened last week....:) :

ashur: "MOM! Reuben is putting money in his pants...he's putting money in his pants...come look!"me: "reuben, what are you doing?"roo: "I'm trying to put money in my pocket, but it keeps falling down my leg on to the ground"me: "show me how you put it in your pocket"roo: unzips the fly of his pants and starts shoving money in it, "see! it keeps falling down on to the ground!"

Thursday, February 2, 2012

On Sunday we had the fleeting thought that maybe we should drive up to my parents house for a quick visit and to install the flooring they had been wanting us to install for months now.

We figured it would be great timing, as it was also my dad's birthday, and what a better present than to have a visit with his adorable grand-kids for his birthday? ha ha

Monday morning we called around to switch the appointments that we had, and figure out work for my hubby this week...and realized that it could actually happen. In all of about 1/2 hour we packed up ALL of our things and squished into the car. We had briefly chatted with my mom about coming, but with all the switching around of schedules, we weren't sure if we would make it, so I don't think she was expecting us at all.It worked out SO perfectly, because my dad had gotten home from work just minutes before we arrived. We showed up and knocked on the door with a box of SUPER yummy donuts from the donut mill (may I say, SO much better than timmies). He was SHOCKED....he had no idea we were coming, and was super happy to see all of us, especially the kiddos. It was a great surprise:)We spent the evening hanging out with them while the kids played with their uncles...and we also started on the ripping out of carpet and baseboards, and getting rid of furniture and clutter in the room. The room we did was my parents master bedroom which is huge!! We did just their walk-in closet a few months ago, and that took hours on its own...so we knew we were in for the long haul. The next morning the kids had the day off school (another plus to out visiting that day), although my little sister who also lives in town, and my mom and dad, we're all at school/work all day. My hubby started on the floor, and I took all the kids (my 3 siblings and my 2) shopping. We had a really great time shopping around the mall and eating some yummy food at the food court afterwards. They have a great food-court....my fave part of the trip, ha ha. We drove back into town to let Roo sleep...and spent the rest of the evening visiting.I have to brag about my hubby a little here...he is SO smart, and so talented, and such a hard worker. He installed the flooring all by himself, even though it was super tricky, he's such a stud, ha ha. Wednesday was kind of an interesting day...as it definitely had its ups and downs. It was my dads birthday, so as per tradition we got to eat super yummy crepes with strawberries and whipping cream for breakfast. We snuck(is that a word?:) into his classroom at lunch time and filled it with balloons, and nice sayings on his whiteboard, like: "how old do you think Mr. T is?" Then had his students and us write down silly answers like....1,042, I don't know, when dinosaurs roamed the earth? ? 27? ha ha...it was awesome.

He found us mid-balloon-blowing, but it was still worth it!!

We went out for dinner with the whole gang for pizza, and then finished off the day with a yummy icecream cake!! (my mom's home-made specialty)

The only down-side was some issues we had with my younger brother....but they worked themselves out pretty seamlessly...it was kind of a miracle actually...I think I'll post all about that later. But YAY for miracles, and cake and awesome family trips. We were saying goodbye and my little brother asked A if he liked this trip better or his trip to hawaii: "Of course this one!! It was WAY better than hawaii"....then he proceeded to cry for the next half-hour drive because he missed his uncles so much....it was pretty sweet. All in all we had a super great trip, and I'm glad we could re-arrange things to make it work...I hope we can visit again soon:) <3 you guys!!

About Me

5 years ago I married a wonderful man and we now have two adorable boys. I have a degree in psychology, waiting to start my masters, and my husband recently graduated and is working in the financial industry. We hope that, sometime in the near future, we will be blessed to adopt our next child. We love to spend time together as a family and enjoy hosting exchange students from varying countries. I am currently working on getting more into crafts and cooking, in the spare time that I don't have, ha ha.